Ventilated ironing board



Sept. 24, 1940.

' H. B. FAY

VENTILATED IRONING BOARD Filed Jan. 22, 1940 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 24, 1940 PATENT OFFICE VENTILATED IRONING BOARD Horace B.Fay, Willoughby, Ohio, assignor to The Gridiron Steel Company,Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application January 22, 1940, Serial No. 314,938

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to ironing tables or more particularly tothe tops thereof or ironing boards in which the top is made of metal orhas a metal top sheet. In ironing boards of this type, the all metalboard or the board with a top sheet of metal or other completelywaterproof material, the top does not absorb moisture as does the usualwooden board or top, and during continued ironing of heavy materialswhich carry large quantities of moisture, the pad which is mounted onthe board top slowly becomes wet and soggy. As none of its moisture canbe absorbed by the board and as substantially no air reaches the pad,the moisture content slowly in- ]5 creases thus tending to slow down theironing operation as more and more of the heat from the iron must beused to dry the pad, thus reducing the amount of eifective heat forironing.

To overcome such disadvantages, I have provided means for ventilatingsuch boards, thus allowing air to pass through the pad and carry off theaccumulated moisture, as well as allowing water to actually pass throughthe board. In the all metal types of boards and particularly types suchas are shown in my co-pending application for United States LettersPatent Serial No. 223,441 in which two metal sheets are formed into ahollow box-like structure, I have provided ventilating means through theboard, which means, however, preferably seals the ventilating passagesfrom the interior open box-like spaces of the board thus preventingmoisture from entering and causing rusting and deterioration thereofwhile allowing air to ireely pass through the same.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims; the annexed drawing and the followingdescription setting forth in detail certain structure embodying theinvention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one ofvarious structural forms of which the principle of the invention may beused.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an ironing board;

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views showing two forms of holding thesheets together and forming ventilating openings through the board;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a modified form ofboard;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section as illustrated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Figs. 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. 4 and 5 but showing a modifiedform of construction;

Fig. 8 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 7 but showing a differentaperture construction;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross section similar to Fig. 2 but showing theuse of inserted rivets;

Fig. 10 is a cross-section through a different 5 form of board showingventilating apertures formed therein; and

Fig. 11 is a cross-section similar to Fig. 5 but showing a modifiedarrangement.

In the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I have 10 illustrated an ironingboard or top ill of usual shape which is formed of a top sheet ll ofmetal and a bottom supporting sheet l2, this sheet being deformed toprovide a series of spaced buttons i3 pressed out of the plane of thesheet and 15 having their tops in contact with the under surface of thetop sheet Hi to which they are secured. In Fig. 2 I have shown the twosheets secured together by forming openings It in the tops of thebuttons and by punching the top sheet through such openings formingelongated necks l5 which are upset to form heads l6 below the buttons torigidly secure the two sheets together. The necks are hollow and provideair passageways through the board to allow ventilation and to allow anywater accumulating on the board to run through. I

In Fig. 3 a modified type of ventilating passage is provided. In thisform the buttons l3a are welded to the top sheet over an area I! andthen 80 holes l8 are drilled or punched through the welded area formingthe passageways through the board.

In the forms shown in Figs. 4 and 5, I have shown the metal iron boardor table top formed of two sheets of metal, the top sheet 20 beingrelatively flat and shaped to usual ironing board configuration. Thebottom sheet 2| is formed into a series of longitudinally extending ribsor channels, having upper and lower fiat portions 24 and 25 connected byrelatively vertical portions 26.

The upper flat portions 24 contact the under surface of the top sheet20' to which they are rigidly united together by means of rivets 21which may be integrally formed from one of the sheets which pass throughapertures in the other and also form the ventilating passages 28 throughthe board.

In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 a slightly different form of board is employed inwhich the bottom sheet 3| is provided with rectangular channels or ribsinstead of the angle ribs of Fig. 5. Here the upper flat portions 34contact the top sheet and are connected to the bottom fiat portions 35by vertical sections 36. In the form shown in Fig. 7, the two sheets arewelded together at spaced points 3'! and the ventilating passageways 38are formed by punching both sheets into turned down necks 39. In themodification shown in Fig. 8 the passageways are formed in the mannershown in Figs. 4 and 5 by punching the top sheet 30a through apertures32a in the bottom sheet 3! and upsetting the necks 33a of the top sheetto form rivet heads below the bottom sheet.

In Fig. 9 I have shown another form in which the bottom sheet 4| isformed into corrugations instead of angular channels. In this form thecontacting part 42 of the corrugation and the top sheet are providedwith aligned apertures, and

hollow rivets 44 are used to secure the two sheets together, the topsheet being recessed as at 45 to receive the rivet head 46 to form aflush upper surface.

In Fig. 10 another of my forms of metal ironing boards is shown, inwhich the buttons of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3 are combined withthe rib type board of the other forms. In this form the usual flat topsheet 50 is employed with a bottom sheet 5| which has channels or ribs52, there being buttons 53 pressed out of the upper flat surfaces 54 ofthe channels. These are shown as welded together as at 54' with thepassageways 55 formed through the weld spots 54' in the same manner asshown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 11 I have shown another method of forming the passageways, hereshown in a rib form of board like that shown in Fig. 5, there be ing atop sheet and bottom sheet 6|..with its ribs or channels. The contactingportions are provided with aligned apertures and metal eyelets areinserted therein between weld spots. Here the top surface is not fiushbut the eyelet is so thin that the overlying portion is absorbed in thepad which covers the board.

In the present invention I have illustrated the use of ventilatingpassageways through a metal top ironing board and in each case haveprovided for sealing such passageways from the interior spaces of theboard to prevent moisture from entering between the sheets. Any moisturepassing through such passageways must drop through and not be taken inbetween the sheets of the board, thus preventing interior rusting andde-- terioration. As the board will normally be painted or finished withsimilar material after manufacture, the edges of the rivets andpassageways will be covered and completely sealed, thus further sealingthe interior of the board.

The passageways will be of such a size and so spaced as to providethorough ventilation for the board under heavy ironing conditions, butwill be so spaced as not to weaken the board.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanismherein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followingclaims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. An ironing board consisting of a metal top sheet having a flat uppersurface and a bottom supported member secured together in fixed relationand means for ventilating the board consisting of apertures extendingthrough both top sheet and bottom member and hollow metal memberssecured in said apertures and extending from one side of the board tothe other and providing air passageways through said board.

2. A ventilated metal ironing board consisting of a substantially fiattop sheet and a deformed bottom sheet having portions incontact withsaid top sheet and rigidly secured thereto and apertures in said twosheets'at their contacting portions communicating with each other toprovide ventilating passages through said board.

3. A ventilated metal ironing board consisting of a substantially fiattop sheet and a deformed bottom sheet having portions in contact withsaid top sheet and rigidly secured thereto, apertures in said two sheetsat their contacting portions communicating with each other to provideventilating passages through said board and means for sealing suchpassages to the space between said two sheets.

4. A ventilated metal ironing board, consisting of a substantially fiattop sheet, a coextensive bottom sheet having a series of longitudinalribs having their upper surfaces contacting said top sheet and rigidlysecured thereto and ventilating passages in said two sheets at theircontacting areas and communicating with each other and so arranged as tobe sealed from the space between said sheets of said board.

5. A ventilated metal ironing board, consisting. of a substantially flattop sheet, a coextensive bottom sheet having a series of longitudinalribs having their upper surfaces contacting said top sheet and rigidlysecured thereto and ventilating passages through said board atcontacting areas so arranged as to be sealed from the space. betweensaid sheets of said board, said passages consisting of tubular membersextending through said two sheets and sealed thereto on the upper andlower surfaces of said top and bottom sheets respectively.

6. A ventilated metal ironing board, consisting of a substantially flattop sheet, a coextensive bottom sheet having a series of longitudinalribs having their upper surfaces contacting said top sheet, said twosheets being welded together at spaced points along said contactingsurfaces and ventilating holes formed through said board at such weldedpoints, such holes being located centrally of said weld points toprevent openings from the space between the sheets of the board to saidventilating holes.

HORACE B. FAY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,2l5,9 8- I September 214;, 1910.,

HORACE B. FAY I It is hereby certified that error appears in the printedspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correctionasiollows: Page 2, sec- 0nd column, line 7, claim 1, for the word"supported" read --supporting;

and that the said Letters Patent should be readwith this correctiontherein that the same ma; conforni to the record of the case in thePatent Office.

signed and sealed this 29th day of October, A. D. 19110.

Henry Van Arsdale 7 (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

